Tofu or doufu (Chinese: 豆腐, dòufu) or daufufaa (Jyut chinese:豆腐, dau6 fu6) is thought to have originated in ancient China during the Western Han Dynasty. Chinese people have developed and enriched the recipes for tofu dishes on the basis of their own tastes, such as mapo tofu, stinky tofu, pickled tofu, steamed tofu and uncongealed tofu pudding, etc.[1]

In northern China, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce, thus resulting in a savory flavor. Northern Chinese often refer to douhua as doufunao (豆腐脑; dòufunǎo; "tofu brains", often shortened to 豆脑; dòunǎo). Local Beijing people usually eat doufunao for breakfast together with eggs or youtiao (fried dough sticks). Doufunao can be found at breakfast stands along the streets in the morning. Other times it is hard to find outside of a restaurant.[2]

Douhua in Sichuan is often made without any sugar at all, then served by carrying pole or bicycle vendors with a number of condiments such as chili oil, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper, scallions, and nuts, and is sometimes eaten along with white rice as well.

In Cantonese cuisine it is served with sweet ginger or clear syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black bean paste, and sometimes also with coconut milk. Traditionally it is made with a wooden bucket, which is sold as dau fu fa in wooden bucket (木桶豆腐花) as part of dim sum cuisine.

In Singapore and Malaysia, it is more commonly known by its names tau hua or tau huay in Min Nan, or by the Cantonese name (tau fu fa) with the Cantonese variation being more common in Malaysia. In Penang, the common term is tau hua due to the Hokkien roots of the local Chinese dialect.

It is usually served either with a clear sweet syrup alone, with ginkgo seeds suspended in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with pandan. Alternatively, it can also be served with palm-syrup (Gula Melaka).

In Indonesia, it is known as Kembang tahu or in Java as Tahwa derived from the Min Nan name Tau Hwe, or Wedang Tahu (Wedang means hot water with ginger, Tahu means tofu) and is usually sold by hawkers. It is served warm or cold with palm sugar syrup that has been flavored with pandan leaves and ginger.

In Thailand, it is known by its Min Nan name taohuai (เต้าฮวย). It is usually served cold with milk and fruit salad, which is known as taohuai nom sot (เต้าฮวยนมสด, literally "douhua in fresh milk") or taohuai fruit salad (เต้าฮวยฟรุตสลัด), or served hot with ginger syrup, which is known as taohuai nam khing (เต้าฮวยน้ำขิง).